Propelling and braking means for traveling cranes and carriages



M. B. BENSON. PROPELUNG AND BRAKiNG MEANS FOR TRAVELING CRAN.AND'CARR|AGES.

APPLICATXON FILED OCT-28, I918.

1,320,971. Patented N'o v. 4, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- I m Q 3 :5 M I fi n o f N 7' INVENTOR.

. r r BY r WMM WW A TTORNEYS.

M. B. BENSON. PROPELLING AND BRAKING MEANS FOII TRAVELING CRANE-S AND CARRIAGES.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.2I3, I918.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR. m a. aw M ATTORNEYS.

50 The c PATEN MnLvIN B. BENSON, 01 surname, Wisconsin.

' PROPELLING AN D BRAKING MEANS FOR TRAVELING CRANES AN D CARRIAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1 919.

Application filed October 28,1918. Serial No. 260,069.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, MELVIN B. BENSON, a citizen of the United States, residinglat Superior, in the county of Douglas and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propelling and Braking. Means for Traveling Cranes and Carriages, of which I do hereby declare the following to be a specification.

My invention relates to propelling and braking means for traveling cranes and car riages, and has for its object the provision of simple and effective means for starting and stopping the movement of traveling cranes, dock travelers or carriages upon their tracks, or roadways. It consists of the con structions, comblnations and arrangements ofparts hereinafter described and claimed.-

In the drawings, Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a traveling crane,

partly broken away and partly in diagram, equipped with my said invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of means embodying my said invention. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of brake shoe within the scope of certain of my claims, and Fig. 4' is an end view of said modified form.

' In the drawings, '1 .is a railwaytrack; 2

is the frame of a crane, partly broken away;

3, 4, '5 and 6 are trucks positioned on said tracks and upon -which said vframe is mounted. Said trucks and frame may be of any suitable structure. Pivotally secured near one of its ends to said frame or one of said trucks is a'brake lever 7, the opposite end of which is weighted in any suitable manner, as by a weight 7 suspended therefrom. At the pivoted end of said lever, a

brake shoe 8 is secured thereto in any suitable manner, which shoe is adapted in opera tive position, as when the weighted end of said lever. is .in lowered position, to bear against one of the wheels of one of said trucks to prevent said wheel from turning. Connected to said'lever at any suitable point is a link or connecting rod 7", one end of which is connected to a piston rod 9 extendin from an air or brake cylinder 9.

iiamber in said cylinder below the vpiston therein (not shown) communicates in any suitable manner or by any suitable means as by a pipe 9" with the pressure chamber of an air compressor 10- of any suitable structure, which air compressor is" operated by an electric motor 11. 'A safety 16, and a generator 17 which generator-may.

by carried by said frame, or be distant therefrom. Said wires 12 and 13 are tapped by the wir s '12 and 13 which are connected to normally open contacts 12 and 13 of an electric cut out switch or circuit closer. 'Adjacent to said contacts but insulated therefrom and from each other are contacts 12 and 13, which contacts 12 and 13 are in circuit through suitable connecting wires 12 and 13 with an electromagnet 18 Said contacts 12 and 13 are adapted to be brought into electric communication with the contacts '12 and 13 respectively by a contact closer of any suitable construction adapted to be mechanically operated by the hereinafter described brake-beam, as will appear. Said wires 1 2 and 13 are tapped by wires'12 and 13 respectively which are connected to normally open contacts 12 and 13 adjacent to said magnet 18. 19 is an electric propelling motor of any suitable structure, which is geared to one of said trucks. The poles of said motor 19 are connected by wires 19 and 19 with normally open contacts 19 and 19 adjacent to said. contacts 12 and 13, and are adapted to be brought into electric communication with said contacts 12 and 13 by a circuit closer of any suitable structure adapted to be operated by said magnet 18. Connected at one end to said brake beam intermediate of'the ends thereof, is a link 20, which link is connected at its opposite end to a circuit closer 21 which is adapted to be operated by said link, when said beam is in its operative or raised position, to establish electric communication between the contacts 12 and 12 and between the contacts 13 and 13 In operation, the current from the generator being turned on at the controller, said current first passes through the compressor motor 11 which motor operates the compressor 10, the air pressure passing to the cylin-. der 9 and raising the piston therein, thus drawing up the free end of the brake beam and releasing the brake. The rising brake beam by means of the link 20 and attached circuit closer, closes the circuit between concircuit closer 18 to close the circuit through contacts 12 and 19" and through contacts 13 and 19, whereupon part of the current flows through the wires 12 and l3 and 19 and 19 and propelling motor 19. The motor l1 continues to operate the compressor to furnish air for maintaining the brake beam in its brake-retracting circuit-closing raised position. Upon the current being cut otl' at the controller, said motor 11 stops and the air leaks from the cylinder 9 permitting the weight 7 to draw the brake beam down, thus applying the brake, and at the same time retracting the circuit closer between contacts 12" and 1'2 and between 13 and 13". The magnet 18 drops the 011'- cuit closer goveri'ied thereby thus opening the circuit between said controller and motor 19 and preventing any flow of current to said motor 19 until said brake beam shall have been raised again and the brake released.

I t" the trucks on transversely opposite sides of the vehicle are very far apart and propelling power is ap )lied to only one of them, the other may have a tendency to lag, thus producing torsional strains in the frame. To avoid this I prefer in such case to provide a propelling motor for the trans versely opposite truck. as the motor 21, the poles of which may be tapped on to said wires 19 and 19*, or, if desired, may inst ad terminate in the normally open contacts 2'2, 23 opposed to normally open contacts 22, '23 respectively which latter contacts may be connected by tap wires with said wires 12 and 13. In the latter case said wires 12 and 13 may be tapped to provide current for an electromagnet 2% adapted to operate a circuit closer to close the circuit between contacts 22 and 2'2, and 23 and '2 Thus the propelling motors 19 and 21 at transversely opposite sides of the vehicle will start or stop simultaneously. In similar case, a brake beam, weight, shoe and brake cylinder for retracting or lifting said beam may be provided at the transversely opposite side of said vehicle from the first referred to beam; said second brake cylinder being connected in any suitable manner with said air compressor, or with a similar air compressor. In like manner brake mechanism may be provided to individually govcm the trucks at the opposite ends of the vehicle. If desired, the shaft of the motor 19 may be extended across the vehicle and geared to the opposite truck as well as to the one adjacent to said motor 19, in which case the motor 21 may be omitted.

In Fig. 3 is shown a modified form of brake shoe adapted to engage the track rail instead of the truck wheel. In said modified form, said shoe comprises jaws 25 and 96- connected together near their lower ends by a tie-bar 27 pivoted thereto at its ends,

which bar is pivotally secured intermediate of its ends to the lower end of a post. 28

The upper connected together track. Upon the lifting of said beam said toggle bars draw the upper ends of said jaws together thus spreading the lower ends thereof and feeding them from said rail.

While I have described certain tap wires between the controller and certain translation devices, it is obvious that other wire arrangements may be made with equivalent electrical etl'ect. It is also obvious that said construction may be modified in various details within the spirit and scope of certain of my claims.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination with a movable support of a brake beam secured thereto; a source of electricity; a motor in circuit with said source; an air compressor adapted to be operated by said motor; a brake cylinder connected to said compressor and containing a piston adapted to be 0 )erated by air from said compressor. said pis on being connected to said brake beam and adapted to raise the same; a normally open electric circuit con nected to said source and including an electromagnet and normally open contacts; a circuit closer for closing said normally open contacts, said circuit closer being adapted to be operated by said brake beam when said brake beam is raised or retracted; a normally open electric circuit connected to said source and comprising a propelling motor and normally open contacts; a circuit closer adapted to be operated by said magnet to close said contacts of the latter circuit; a

controller adapted to be manually operated to open or close the first said circuit; and a brake shoe carried by said brake beam; said brake beam being adapted to move to brake operating position by gravity.

'12. The combination with a vehicle, of a normally open electric circuit comprising a source of electricity, a normally open contact, a second normally open contact, and an electric motor for propelling said vehicle; a manually operatable contact closer for closing the first said normally open contact; a contact closer for closing said second normally open contact; a second normally open electric circuit comprising said source of electricity, a normally open contact and an elcctromagnet, said electromagnet being adapted to operate the contact closer for closing the second normally open contact of said first circuit; a contact closer for closmg the normally open contact of said 0nd circuit: gravity actuated means for retracting said contact closer for said second circuit; means for retracting said gravity actuated means whereby said gravity actuated means is caused to' thrust said contact closer for said second circuit into operative position, and means adapted to be operated by said gravity actuated means to prevent the movement of said vehiclef 3. The combination With a vehicle, ofan electric motor adapted to propel the same; a source of electricity, means for transmitting current from said source to said-motor,

said means including a normally open contact and a contact closer; an electromagnetadapted to close said contact closer; means for transmitting electric current from said source to said electromagnet, the latter said means including a normally open contact and acontact closer; gravity operated means adapted in operation to retract said second contact closer from operative position; a second electric motor; means fortransmitting electric current from said source to said adapted to be operated b ity actuated means compressed air operate ing said gravity actuated propelling mechanism of said vehicle including and being governed by a normally open contact common to both of them In testimony Whereof,-I hereunto aflix my.

signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

MELVIN B. BEN SO'N.

Witnesses:

- JAMES T. WATSON, v Y J.- MiLTON'BARKER. 

